Obama: US And Ireland Are Linked By Blood

US President Barack Obama has said troubled parts of the world should learn from the Northern Ireland peace process.

Mr Obama, on a 24-hour visit to Ireland with his wife Michelle, stressed the importance of the American-Irish relationship after talks with its leaders.

"The friendship and the bond between the United States and Ireland could not be stronger," he said.

"Obviously it is not just a matter of strategic interests. It's not just a matter of foreign policy, for the United States and Ireland carries a blood lineage.

"For millions of Irish-Americans this continues to symbolise the homeland and
the extraordinary traditions of an extraordinary people."

The couple touched down in Dublin on Air Force One this morning for a whistle-stop visit to the republic before they move on to England tomorrow.

They beamed and waved as they stepped from the presidential plane, which landed at a wet and blustery Dublin Airport.

Mrs Obama, who famously hugged the Queen in 2009, embraced several members of the welcoming party.

They included Irish deputy prime minister Eamon Gilmore and his wife Carol Hanney, and US ambassador to Ireland Dan Rooney.

The couple then flew by helicopter to Phoenix Park where they met Irish president Mary McAleese and held talks with Irish PM Enda Kenny.

The US leader told Mrs McAleese: "We're thrilled to be here," adding: "The sun's coming out - I can feel it."

The US president helped plant a tree in the grounds of Aras about 50ft from a sequoia planted in 1963 by President John F Kennedy.

Mr Obama will give a speech in Dublin tonight, speaking to thousands at the same location where President Bill Clinton wooed onlookers in 1995.

He will also find time to stop off in Moneygall in Country Offaly, which prides itself on being an ancestral home of the 49-year-old.

The entire village has been given a fresh coat of paint for the historic visit - with one home even painted as the American flag.

Mr Obama's great-great-great-grandfather Falmouth Kearney, a shoemaker, was born there in 1831 before emigrating to America in 1850.

When the ancestral link was first revealed four years ago, the news was met with initial scepticism.

But the villagers shrugged off the jokes and are now about to reap the rewards of a presidential visit.

Local resident Henry Healy, 26, an accountant, has traced a family connection and claims to be an eighth cousin to Mr Obama.

He said: "We've all been caught up in this dream. Nothing in the village seems really.

"I've been rehearsing what I'm going to say to the president for months in my head. I can't really believe it's going to happen."

Mr Obama will spend just 24 hours in Ireland before flying to Britain for his first state visit and then on to France and Poland.

He and his wife Michelle will stay at Buckingham Palace with the Queen, who they first met during a trip in 2009.

A massive security operation believed to be costing around £10m has been put in place for the three-day visit.

The couple, who have an entourage of several hundred travelling with them, will be guests of honour at a state banquet hosted by the Queen.

Mr Obama is looking to bolster his links with America's long-standing western allies and the "special relationship" with Britain during the trip.

He will hold takes with Prime Minister David Cameron, where the leaders are expected to discuss Libya, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Mr Obama will also be looking to discuss how to deal with the political upheaval in the Arab world.

In an unprecedented move, the two leaders will unveil a joint national security strategy as the US opens up its National Security Council to the UK.

A combined security board will be set up so officials can meet regularly to discuss foreign policy, defence and security issues.

Mr Obama's visit to Europe comes after his controversial call for Israel to retreat to its 1967 borders to secure a peace deal with Palestine.

The president sought to allay concerns he was veering in a pro-Palestinian direction on Sunday by insisting he had only been restating settled US policy.